Media Confidential

Award-winning journalist Nick Davies broke the story of phone hacking by UK newspapers back in 2009 and now lays out the startling implications of News Group Newspapers’ major settlement with former Cabinet minister Chris Huhne, which adds a significant extra dimension to the affair.Plus, Alan and Lionel discuss the issue of BBC funding with the former BBC executive Pat Younge, as the government look set to renege on its agreement with the corporation over the amount of the licence fee. Enjoy one-month's free trial to Prospect's digital content, and get full access to rigorously fact-checked, truly independent analysis and perspectives.  No commitment - you can cancel at any time.  Click https://subscription.prospectmagazine.co.uk/1mfd/prospect-magazine/mcpod1mf to unlock your free digital trial today.We'd love your feedback! Tell us more at: https://f9ce3vpjrw3.typeform.com/to/bxJBPxN2 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A remarkable interview with arguably Britain’s greatest living photographer, Sir Don McCullin. He opens up about his career in-and-out of war zones, saying he's been “damaged” by some of the things he saw in Vietnam, Biafra and elsewhere, and that he was “poisoned” by his profession. McCullin talks about some of his most dramatic photos and about feeling like he was “stealing” images of suffering. The legendary photojournalist also analyses the craft of modern war photography in an age of heavily restricted battlefield access and citizen journalists. Plus, Lionel dissects the latest in the competition to own the Telegraph and Alan updates us about his quest to uncover whether there was interference from a BBC director in who would become chair of the media regulator Ofcom.Enjoy one-month's free trial to Prospect's digital content, and get full access to rigorously fact-checked, truly independent analysis and perspectives.  No commitment - you can cancel at any time.   Click https://subscription.prospectmagazine.co.uk/1mfd/prospect-magazine/mcpod1mf to unlock your free digital trial today.We'd love your feedback! Tell us more at: https://f9ce3vpjrw3.typeform.com/to/bxJBPxN2 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pulitzer Prize-winning data journalist and artist Mona Chalabi discusses her groundbreaking work, criticism of New York Times coverage on Israel-Palestine and Gaza. They also talk about the surprising ousting and return of Sam Altman as boss of OpenAI, the potential sale of the Daily Telegraph and the implications of foreign ownership.

LBC broadcaster and author James O'Brien discusses media figures who 'broke Britain', including Paul Dacre, Rupert Murdoch, and Andrew Neil. Topics include David Cameron's return, lack of media accountability, manipulation by powerful figures, and the impact on democracy. O'Brien reflects on opinionated broadcasting and offers advice to young journalists.

Media professor Steve Barnett and commentator David Elstein discuss the lack of balance in GB News, Ofcom's role in regulation, climate change denial vs. Holocaust denial, and the controversies surrounding GB News' owner and its impartiality. The podcast also explores the need for more regulation in broadcasting and the role of British individuals in American institutions.

One of the key figures in global media talks to Alan and Lionel about how artificial intelligence will transform the industry. Mathias Döpfner is the CEO of the international media group Axel Springer and he’s a big thinker about how AI will impact news organisations and beyond.  He also talks about public trust in media, his friend Elon Musk at Twitter/X, and how post-Cold War trade with countries like Russia and China has failed to transfer Western ideas of freedom and democracy. Döpfner is questioned about reports that Axel Springer wants to buy The Telegraph, before Barclay brothers biographer Jane Martinson considers the battle to become the newspaper’s next owners, along with the significant concerns that follow some of the interested parties. Plus, Alan and Lionel reflect on the news that former prime minister Boris Johnson is joining GB News and how far Ofcom will allow the politically partisan channel to go. Enjoy one-month's free trial to Prospect's digital content, and get full access to rigorously fact-checked, truly independent analysis and perspectives. No commitment - you can cancel at any time.   Unlock your free digital trial today at https://subscription.prospectmagazine.co.uk/1mfd/prospect-magazine/mctex1mfWe’d love your feedback! Tell us more at: https://f9ce3vpjrw3.typeform.com/to/bxJBPxN2   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former editors of Financial Times and The Guardian discuss media coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict. They analyze mistakes made by different organizations and the impact on the British Jewish population. The BBC's reporting bias towards Israel is criticized, emphasizing the need for balanced coverage. Challenges of reporting on the Gaza conflict and the moral burden placed on Israel are also discussed. Mark Damiser, a lifelong BBC employee, shares his perspective on media bias and his Jewish identity. The chapter concludes with a discussion on the pressure faced by the BBC and government influence on the media.

As the Israel-Gaza war boosts concerns about disinformation and misinformation on X, Alan and Lionel speak to Joanna Geary, who used to be Twitter’s Senior Director of Curation. What important checks and filters did Elon Musk strip away when he took over? Plus, author Jane Martinson discusses her new book about the Barclay brothers, two of the most significant UK media owners of recent decades, as the Barclay family seems keen to buy back the Telegraph Media Group. Today you can get an annual Prospect subscription for as little as £49, and *while stocks last* you’ll get a free signed copy of Breaking News, Alan's excellent book about the remaking of journalism and why it matters, which is worth £10.99. Sign up now at: https://subscribe.prospectmagazine.co.uk/mediaconfidential We'd love your feedback! Tell us more at: https://f9ce3vpjrw3.typeform.com/to/bxJBPxN2  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alan and Lionel discuss how the awful violence in Israel and Gaza is being reported by media there (and elsewhere), and the extent to which local news organisations are able to give a balanced and nuanced account of what is happening. They are joined by Esther Solomon, editor-in-chief of Haaretz English and Sarah Helm, former diplomatic editor and Middle East correspondent of The Independent, who is currently writing a book about the Gaza Strip. Prospect brings rigorously fact-checked analysis, ideas and perspectives to the big topics the world is grappling with.  Special offer: Buy a digital subscription – only £3 for three months' access (then £49 annually). Click HERE to subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alan and Lionel talk to Marty Baron, perhaps the most distinguished and garlanded editor in America since Watergate.Collision of Power is Baron’s book about his time at the Washington Post, which won 10 Pulitzer Prizes under his leadership. He discusses standing up to then-President Donald Trump and the transformative impact of the Post’s new owner Jeff Bezos, while Marty and Alan compare notes about publishing the Edward Snowden story under high pressure from governments and intelligence services.Media Confidential also considers the chaos at GB News, after Laurence Fox’s on-air comments about Ava Evans, and whether Ofcom can reel it in.Follow us on X (Twitter): @MediaConfPodProspect brings rigorously fact-checked analysis, ideas and perspectives to the big topics the world is grappling with.  Special offer: Buy a digital subscription – only £3 for three months' access (then £49 annually). Click HERE to subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.